Ron Paul Ad Recalls Graphic Abortion

The 60-second ad titled “Life” features Paul recalling a graphic story from his time as an obstetrics-gynecology resident to explain his opposition to abortion.

The GOP presidential candidate told a story of witnessing doctors deliver a baby via Caesarean section and then “put it in a bucket in the corner of the room and pretended it wasn’t there.”

The ad continues with Paul, 76, contrasting the harsh realities of an abortion to seeing only moments later the inspirational act of doctors trying to save a premature baby.

“Who are we to decide that that we are going to pick one and throw one away and struggle to save another?” Paul asked in the ad.

Paul’s defense of the unborn is sure to be red meat for social conservatives in the early voting states of Iowa, South Carolina, New Hampshire and Nevada, where the ad will begin airing today.

Paul gave a very similar speech during the Ames straw poll in August. But he has sparingly discussed abortion rights on the trail since then. He failed to mention it at recent stops in New Jersey, New York and New Hampshire.

Before becoming a congressman, Paul was an obstetrics-gynecology doctor credited with delivering more than 4,000 babies.

Although Paul calls himself strongly anti-abortion, he opposes a federal ban on all abortions. He instead believes that states are granted sole jurisdiction to regulate abortions.

Despite that, Paul has voted in favor of the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. The law prohibits a form of late-term abortion.